Keep Calm and Insert Coin: Sooner Or Later Everyone Goes to the Zoo

In life, there are too many games to even think of that creates memories. And ever since my trip to Pittsburgh, PA for the ReplayFx, my brain almost went into self destruct mode. The question of why is that? Because I pretty much have played 99% of the retro games that were there. And even though I have written about some in the past, unfortunately, there were some where I couldn’t even remember where I first played them. And seriously, don’t get me started with the pinball machines. There were too many to even recognize.

I can put an event to a certain arcade game but never a date: The time I was playing the original Atari X and O’s football and got my hand pinched in the trackball and had a huge black and blue mark on my hand. The time I first screamed because I was so scared because I was standing in the Discs of Tron and the volume was on as high as they could get it. The time I was playing Journey Escape for the first time and thought it was the stupidest game ever…..still do. Playing Crossbow and the controller was so loose that when I turned it to the right to aim, it completely broke off. I could go on.

But then there is the time of almost missing the bus on the trip to Washington DC when we went to Six Flags with the Junior High group because I was playing a game. I had no idea what the park was when we went there. I didn’t know it was a full theme park. When we got there, we went into the Reinasance area and I thought that was all there was. I basically hung out around the old style games and entertainment and food. But when I saw someone walking through with a really cool prize, I asked where they got it. They told me and gave me a map. CRAP!!! I seriously spent four hours in one area of the park?!?!?! Perfect!!!!

So I only had two hours left and basically ran to the other areas. Needless to say, I really wasn’t a rides person so I wasn’t too heartbroken about not getting on them. But as I was getting closer to them, I started to pass an arcade. Jackpot! I walked in to a lot of games that I have played in the past except for only one. It was a weird game at that.

You are a zookeeper trying to keep the animals in the brick walls and if they get out, you have to recapture them. Zookeeper was a really strange game, but was extremely loud and simplistic. So simplistic, I think I spent most of my food money on it. I had enough for a hot dog. Yum. But anyway, I failed to even walk through the rest of the park and even the arcade and midway because I was attracted to this game. I didn’t have a watch so I had no idea what time it was.

We were supposed to be back at the bus at 7:30. I was playing the game and finally I had to take a break and run to the bathroom. I was washing my hands at the sink and someone walked up right next to me and used the next sink. I glanced over at his hand to see his watch. 8:15. OH CRAP!!!!! Mind you, I was not athletic, I have never run a mile without getting sick. And it sure didn’t help that I ate that hot dog. But I have never ran so fast in my life through the park. What seemed like ten miles, yet was under one. I ran to the bus. When I got there, there was nothing more uncomfortable than a busload of your pissed classmates staring at you. But there I was, sweat drenched down my shirt and I had to sit next to one of the several girls that I had a secret crush on back in junior high. Her name was….. Like I’m going to tell you.

But this taught me a very valuable lesson from then on. Even if you didn’t have too many friends back then, stay with them. You never know when you might need them. Because if you don’t, you will have the worst time trying to…..

Brad has been a die hard arcade fan ever since he can remember. From the first time he played Space Invaders, to the first time he played Pacman, Brad has always had a love for video games. Hanging out at either the Great American Fun Factory in the mall, or spending the night in front of the glowing games at the local roller rink, he was always thinking about when he can spend the next quarter.
He also worked at Babbages, which is now GameStop, for over six years. Mostly because they had a really sweet checkout policy on new products and great discounts. But since he had the Atari 2600, he has never looked back and owned some of the greatest home machines, NES, SNES, GENESIS, Turbo Graphix 16, GameBoy, Game Gear, Lynx, Playsation 1,2,3,4 and Vita, XBOX, Gamecube, and N64...just to name a few.
Brad is also a reviewer for Mobile Beat Magazine as well as a freelance videographer, part time disc jockey, performing artist and photographer. But has a true love is for video games and Star Wars, as he is a member of the 501st Central Garrison.
His ultimate dream is to own a fully working pinball machine and arcade machine. Difficult to say which one, but a Star Wars one would be nice start.